The Howling (1981)

After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.

Director:

Joe Dante

Writers:

Gary Brandner (novel), John Sayles (screenplay)

Stars:

Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dee Wallace	...	Karen White
Patrick Macnee	...	Dr. George Waggner
Dennis Dugan	...	Chris Halloran
Christopher Stone	...	R. William 'Bill' Neill
Belinda Balaski	...	Terry Fisher
Kevin McCarthy	...	Fred Francis
John Carradine	...	Erle Kenton
Slim Pickens	...	Sam Newfield
Elisabeth Brooks	...	Marsha Quist
Robert Picardo	...	Eddie Quist
Margie Impert	...	Donna
Noble Willingham	...	Charlie Barton
James Murtaugh	...	Jerry Warren
James MacKrell	...	Lew Landers (as Jim McKrell)
Kenneth Tobey	...	Older Cop

Storyline

In a red light district, newswoman Karen White is bugged by the police, investigating serial killer Eddie Quist, who has been molesting her through phone calls. After police officers find them in a peep-show cabin and shoot Eddie, Karen becomes emotionally disturbed and loses her memory. Hoping to conquer her inner demons, she heads for the Colony, a secluded retreat where the creepy residents are rather too eager to make her feel at home. There also seems to be a bizarre connection between Eddie Quist and this supposedly safe haven. And when, after nights of being tormented by unearthly cries, Karen ventures into the forest and makes a terrifying discovery.

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Plot Keywords:

psychiatrist | forest | female full frontal nudity | outdoor sex | monster | 

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Taglines:

They're out there - and you're in the middle of your worst nightmare...

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

10 April 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aullidos

Filming Locations:

Westlake Village, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$17,986,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Embassy Pictures, International Film Investors, Wescom Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie and Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988) are both based on the same novel by Gary Brandner. Interestingly, "Howling IV: The Original Nightmare" actually represents the more faithful adaptation of the novel than this movie does.

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Goofs

When Chris gets out of his car at the colony, he works the bolt action of his gun. In the next scene in the office, he hears a noise and works the bolt action again.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. George Waggner: Repression. Repression is the father of neurosis, of self-hatred. Now, stress results when we fight against our impulses. We've all heard people talk about animal magnetism, the natural man. the noble savage, as if we'd lost something valuable in our long evolution into civilized human beings. Now there's a good reason for this.

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Crazy Credits

At the very end of the credits, there is a brief clip from The Wolf Man (1941).

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Alternate Versions

The original uncut Fake Porn Movie (parts of it can be seen in the sex shop scene) was supposed to be included on the UK DVD by Momentum. But the BBFC rejected it due to "serious concerns about the portrayal of sexual violence".

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Suckula (2015)

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Soundtracks

Ending Credits
(uncredited)
Composed by Pino Donaggio
Conducted by Natale Massara

User Reviews

awesome werewolf flick

This is an excellently crafted piece of work from former Roger Corman student, Joe Dante. I won't go much into the plot, but it involves a news woman who gets attacked while in a porno shop viewing room. To get her mind off things, a psychiatrist recommends she goes to his private retreat to be treated. After that, spooky happenings and strange deaths start occurring. This film has great direction and great atmosphere and mood. The lighting and use of fog is excellent and really hightens the spookiness of the film. One of the best werewolf transformations is shown in this film, rivaled only by the one in An American Werewolf in London. Although this movie starts out slow, the tension keeps rising and keeps you interested in what will happen next. The spookiness doesn't always lie within the content but also the claustrophobic feeling and the uncertainty of who you can trust. A very good movie, highly recommended.